Date

4-2010

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering

Major Course

Major in Structures and Environment

College

College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology (CEAT)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Marion Lux Y. Castro

Committee Member

Vicente G. Ballaran, Ronaldo B. Saludes

Abstract

The effects of using different bedding to kitchen waste ratio in a vermicomposting system on the production and quality of compost produced by African Nightcrawler (Eudrilus eugeniae)were determined using three vermicomposting bins. Each of the bins was made of plywood and an area of 2ft² . Newspapers that were cut into 1 inch x1 inch were used as bedding material. Fresh kitchen wastes were used as worm food. Three set-ups were prepared with bedding to kitchen waste ratios are as follows: set-up A with 50:50, set-up B with 60:40 and set-upC with 70:30. Minimum and maximum temperature and pH of the worm bedding were measured daily. Macronutrient content of the vermicomposts produced from the three-set-ups was analyzed. Set-ups B and C provided lower values of minimum temperatures (23°C to 27.5°C and 22.9°C to 27.4°C, respectively) and maximum temperatures (23.9°C to 29.6°C, and 23.8°C to 29.1°C, respectively) within the worm environment compared to set -up A. Set-ups B and C also produced the highest amount of compost with 157.4g and 253.5g, respectively.On one hand, set-up A provided the safest pH range of 4.9 to 9.3 within the worm environment. Set-up A also yielded the highest nutrient content with 2.31% N, 0.69% P₂O₅ and 5.53% K₂O. In comparison, the complete commercial fertilizer still has the highest percentages of macronutrients. Vermicomposts produced in the experiment have higher macronutrient content (set-up with 2.31% N, 0.69% P₂O₅,5.53% K₂O: set-up B with 2.33% N, 0.62% P₂O₅, 4.96% K₂O: and set-up C with2.38% N, 0.52% P₂O₅,, 2.65% K₂O) than ordinary composts (0.8% N, 0.35% P₂O₅,, 0.48% K₂O) and than those reported in existing literature (0.51-1.61% N,0.19-1.02% P₂O₅, and 0.15-0.73% K₂O). The use of 50:50 bedding to kitchen waste ratio provided the worms the highest temperatures and safest pH ranges that produced the least amount of compost but with highest macronutrient content.

Language

English

LC Subject

Vermicomposting, Compost

Call Number

LG 993.5 2010 A2 G46

Document Type

Thesis

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